Rigging an FS700 for day to day use- my solution

[Stuart Boreham]

Hi all,

Thought you might like to see the attached.

Hours of work, thousands of quids and I have a system of accessories from various different manufacturers that allow the FS700 to almost work like an ENG cam for run and gun and docu stuff. Knowing how hard it was to find any information about good rigs on line I thought perhaps some people might be helped by the pics.

Happy to answer questions :-) Sorry for the slightly rough pix.

S

[Peter Walsh]

Nice job. Thanks for posting. I like the top mounted handle. What is that? Is that available commercially?

Also interested in how you secure your EVF. I use a Z finder with a Zacuto rig. I find it difficult to tweak the Z-finder in a quick, full 360 degree way.

[Stuart Boreham]

Hi Peter,

The top plate and handle is by 'Berkey Systems'. I had to get a specially made 15mm rod to 3/8th threaded adaptor made to fit the handle onto the back end of the Sony handle but it works fine - Berkey expect you to ditch the Sony handle but I needed it. The balance with the Berkey handle far back is good.Slight concern is the strain put onto the threaded hole on top of the Sony handle but so far so good - I imagine it would split before failing (if is ever will) and then you would feel the wobble. It's rock solid right now.

The EVF is a KinoTechnilk which comes with it's own EX3 style mount- I have it fitted to the hot shoe on the front of the FS700 handle so I can move the VF up for cradle holding the cam and then back to normal shoulder position. It really works! Great VF as well - very pleased with it.

S

[Tim Schick]

Hey Stuart,

I appreciate the pics. We're on the verge of investing in the FS700 but trying to wade through the hundreds of different ways to rig the thing for exactly what your saying... run and gun. We shoot a ton of handheld in the outdoors and hurry up and move is ever present.

Do you mind listing out each of your components there like the viewfinder and shoulder mount?

Also, is that a convergent design Odyssey on the back for 4k or just an anton bauer mount? If not, are you going that route? We will have to if we commit to get the continuous 240fps... but we have serious questions about the record times...

[Stuart Boreham]

Hi,

Happy to list.

Am thinking about the 4K option having seen 'The United States of Televsion' whihc was filmed on with with some of the most compelling edited interviews I've ever seen. Mind you, it was not just the 4K that made it good and that program is not the only reason to want 4K, but is where my brain was.

Currently I was told that my camera as it was not bought from a UK Sony Dealer will not be allowed to be upgraded, so perhaps that solves my dilemma. I am pretty sure none of my clients would notice any difference so I would be kinda pleasing myself rather than my bank balance if I got it.

Odyessy is a monitor too so would probably be mounted on the top of the cam using an arm if I got one.

The bits on my cam are (in no particuler order)

Sony NEX FS700 Top Cheeseplate, Single Handle, Microphone Mount Kit | | Berkey System

Universal Camera Kit » Rycote

FS700 Grip Relocator | Zacuto USA

Sony NEX System : Canon EF Lens to Sony NEX Speed Booster

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/855405-REG/shape_bp0001_v_lock_quick_release_baseplate.html
VL-CA7 /VLCA7 V-Lok Camera Adaptor

Kinotehnik - LCDVFE: Overview

Hawk-Woods LR-05 (LR05) Dummy NP-F Type Battery to Power-Con Flying Lead, suitable for Sony NEX-FS700 (45cm)

Plus a ton of cables and some bits of aly plate I made myself to hold it all together. Actually works finr and I am enjoying it. I use Canon EF lenses, mostly 24-105 (which acts like an f2.8 with the speed booster) and often 70-200, 100 macro, samyang 85mm 1.4, 50mm 1.4. etc etc

BUT I am not convinced it was worth it over the 5D. I wanted a one unit solution, no external sound, goo VF, easier to hold, one longlife battery system etc etc which I got, but it was quite a lot of money, big and heavy and I am failing to match the 2 cams up for when I shoot with them both whereas 5d to 7d match is simple.

Anyway, hope that lot helps.

S

[Olof Ekbergh]

That looks very similar to the kit I came up with for the FS700.
Sony FS700 shoulder brace

It can also be used in compact form. The kit is modular including 15mm rails if you need them.

I am working on a mounting system for the Odyssey 7Q, I am a dealer for that as well.

The Odyssey kit will be compatible with the existing kit and will allow for compact as well as top front and back mounting, It should be ready by the time the 7Q ships.

[Christopher Young]

Came up with a similar solution for certain types of work where a longer lens is needed. Actually using MTF's B4 adapter and a good old SD Fujinon 18 x 7.6 BDERM I had which for sport slo-mo is working well. Having the camera, lens and Alphatron all running from the one 'V' lock source makes life simpler. Still find XDCam HD my prime shooting kit but for interviews etc I prefer using the FS700 with some primes.

Have used this rig on a number of stage shows now. With average stage lighting I find the worst I have had to use is 3200 ISO. A lot of the stage lighting shoots seems to come in at around F4.0 - F5.6 with ISO between base of 500 to 1600. Not too bad considering the approx 2.5 stop loss with the MTF adapter and the lens doubler engaged.

I find when using higher ISOs on the 700 its best do a black balance first on the higher setting. It then appears to produce quieter images. Currently running v3.01 frimware.

Some footage I tested the MTF out on when I first got it back in June can be seen here. In fact the lens didn't even have a support back then which made the whole rig feel a bit unstable. Rock solid now in its current configuration. The footage seems to have lost some quality in the upload conversion process but it gives you a fair idea of what this sort of combo can achieve.

Sony FS700 - First quick test with MTF's B4 2/3" adapter and a SD Fujinon 18 x7.6 BDERM lens. on Vimeo

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Mark Bolding]

Chris,
Can you tell me about the power adapter for the Alphatron? That looks a lot cleaner and out of the way than the undermount ta5 to powertap cable I am using.

Thank You

mb

[Christopher Young]

Hi Mark ~

Agreed. That plugs just sticks down too far. Too easy to damage. That unit you see on the Alphatron was one I had lying around from way back PD-150 days. It was part of a car cigarette lighter power supply kit for the Sony. All I did was shorten the cable and put a D-tap plug on the end. It sources its power from a regulated 12v D-tap outlet on the IDX battery plate. IDX have a unit that could do this. Again the power source has to be regulated 7.2 - 12 volt from a V lock plate. You can see the IDX one and download its PDF data sheet here.

C-SONC | IDX Tek

The camera is powered by a Switronix unit. This unit takes the 12-16 volt unregulated output from the V lock battery plate and converts it to a regulated 7.4 volt then runs it through a dummy battery to power the camera. The unit also has an unregulated D-tap socket in its side. The regulator paddle part of it is mounted on the front of the cheese plate.

This Swit unit is a: Switronix XP-DV-S20 PowerTap to Sony Camcorder.

This link is the best I have found so that you can see it clearly but I bought mine from BHPhoto, and cheaper.

Switronix Switronix XP-DV-S20 PowerTap to Sony Camcorder Use with HDV-Pro/V or NP-L168 Power & Extension Cables at Markertek.com

The tricky part though was it wouldn't fit the battery cavity because of a moulding protrusion in the middle of the battery cavity on the FS700. What I did was measure up carefully and worked out where the obstruction was occurring then carefully drilled a couple of holes in the Swit dummy battery. Carefully making sure I didn't drill any deeper than the thickness of the plastic. Once I had drilled the two holes I just carefully turned the two adjacent holes into an oval recess with a small file and. Now the plate goes straight onto the 700 over the moulding protusion with no issues.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Mark Bolding]

Thanks Chris, I appreciate it. Not sure if I will get the IDX solution right away but will keep it in mind. I am just about finished getting my FS700 totally kitted out- just need some short bnc's for the PIX 240 and the Alphatron. I wish I had a scale because this thing is getting heavy but with the Pix and a brick battery it finally balances.

mb

[Christopher Young]

If you want some really top quality mil-spec 75ohm well made BNC cables check out these. He will also make up custom cables to order. These are the ones I'm using on the Alphatron and a Nanoflash when I need it. Very happy with them.

Belden 83264 75 Ohm RG179 RG 179 Mil C 17g BNC 59 Male to Male Cable 24" | eBay

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Timothy R. Barksdale]

Chris and others using B4 lens with the MTF adapters:

How about powering your zoom? I'm ok without the start stop function but the Zoom is important to my function. I'm trying to figure out a hirose connector solution for the Fujinon lenses which I have. Hirose to D-tap seems to be the solution. But who ? where?

The MTF adapter is freaking great. I'm extremely happy with the image in every capacity, and better- so are the Editor and Director.

But I really need to move back to the efficiency I had with an HDCamcorder... and key (for me) to that is the power zoom...

Thanks for any advice. It is fun to see how we are using different parts but coming up with very similar solutions.

I'll post some images of my build in the next month or so.

[Christopher Young]

Powering the zoom is easy enough as all you need is a 12pin female lens connector cable with a 'D' tap plug on the other end. IMPORTANT!! the D Tap MUST be powered by a REGULATED 12v output. The lenses don't take kindly to being fed 16v from a freshly charged V lock battery. MTF can supply the cable or eBay:

12 pin D Tap cable

Anton Bauer Power Tap D Tap to 12 Pin Hirose Cable B4 2 3" Canon Lens AF100 GH2 | eBay

I'm using an IDX V lock plate and a Hawke Woods V lock adapter when using the B4. The Hawke adapter has a regulated 12v D Tap out which powers the B4 lens. The Hawke adapter also has four regulated Hirose outputs for my wireless mics.

If you want stop start control you can use one of these Prolanc cables. You can attach it with double sided Velco or similar adjacent to the VTR stop start on your lens. Or mount it wherever you see fit.

Pro-Lanc.

Happy modding!

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Tim Lewis]

While I really appreciate seeing specifically tricked out gear, the amount of additions to this style of camera make me feel like the Sony engineers said,"Let's make half a camera and let the customers do the rest."

Am I wrong? The "Berkey expect you to ditch the Sony handle" comment by the OP seems to suggest that Sonly only got the image side of things right.

Mind you I still put hoods and filters and bigger batteries on, but I think you could get two of these cameras, modified by different owners, side by side and possibly not even recognise the core they are each built around as being the same.

(Still doesn't mean I would not love one!)

[Dmitri Zigany]

Originally Posted by Tim Lewis

but I think you could get two of these cameras, modified by different owners, side by side and possibly not even recognise the core they are each built around as being the same.

Maybe that is the great thing? Usually not two shooters' needs are the same... And in that way the camera is very customizable...